For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)
We were in the middle of a family crisis. We'd had two unrelated family deaths in one week. As I stood in the kitchen processing I saw a mug that had the word "Journey" on it with today's text written underneath. I realized this is oh so true.
Often we think that if we are Christians life will be OK. But God isn't interested in making us OK. He's interested in saving us. He's interested in making us more like Jesus. Often to do that, he uses the hardships of life to grow our relationship with him.
We think our walk with God is going to be like that Facebook post that says "I wish someone would say It's going to be OK. Here's some chocolate and six million dollars." But God's goal isn't to get us to lounge around and eat bonbons. His goal is to get us anchored to Him. His goal is to grow us in such a way that no matter what happens, he is our path. He wants us to see him as the only path to take.
So, strap on your hiking shoes. Grab your walking stick and turn your face into the wind. Because God doesn't usually use feather pillows and bonbons to get our attention.